Hurricane Isaac Curfew Lifted, New Orleans Southern Decadence is on

After marching across Florida and causing a bit of mayhem in the Tampa Bay region during the Republican National Convention, Hurricane Isaac dumped buckets of rain on New Orleans, threatening to put a damper on Labor Day weekend's spectacular Southern Decadence celebration, just as Hurricane Katrina did exactly seven years ago. By late Thursday, Isaac had lost quite a bit of its wallop, homes throughout metro New Orleans began having their power restored, and the city of New Orleans had lifted a citywide curfew. Even better, organizers of Southern Decadence have officially announced that this five-day party is on.

Southern Decadence is for many in the New Orleans gay community an even bigger celebration than the city's Mardi Gras celebration each winter. I made my first trip ever to New Orleans during the 1993 Decadence celebration - and I met my first serious boyfriend during the weekend. So I suppose I have a sentimental bias toward these five days of parties and revelry, but I'm clearly not alone: Decadence draws more than 120,000 visitors each year.

A number of New Orleans hotels offer special deals during Southern Decadence, and as there have been a number of Isaac-related cancellations this year, it's not a bad idea to shop around for last-minute deals. Check out my article on the best places to stay in New Orleans, as well as my preview of Southern Decadence 2012.